Unmasking the Shadow: Confronting Repressed Fears and Moral Ambiguity through Gothic Horror Fiction by Gilman, Poe, and Jackson

Author(s): Swarali Jayram Joshi

Abstract:

This paper explores the multifaceted portrayal of the shadow archetype, as theorised by Carl Jung, in selected works of Gothic Horror Fiction. Through a thematic analysis of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, this paper reveals the shadow’s pervasive influence manifesting as repressed fears and/or moral ambiguity across individual, familial and societal levels. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” explores the personal shadow, where the protagonist’s psychological fragmentation is caused by her suppressed creativity and unacknowledged desires, embodied in the haunting figure trapped behind the titular yellow wallpaper. Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” illustrates the familial shadow, wherein the Usher family’s inherited fear, induced by the legacy of mental disorders, symbolises the disintegration of generational sanity, paralleled by the decaying family mansion. Jackson’s “The Lottery” exposes the societal shadow, demonstrating how communal violence becomes institutionalised under the guise of tradition, allowing socially sanctioned expression of humanity’s darkest impulses. By examining these narratives through the lens of the shadow archetype coupled with reader response theory, this paper argues that gothic horror fiction serves as a powerful vehicle for exploring the hidden psychological tensions that shape societal attitudes and behaviours, offering readers insights into human nature and understanding their “Self”.

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Pages: 24-27     |    1 View     |    0 Download